With A Dash of Melancholy
by MiracleHeart
Summary: Nana Yukibara graduates high school and sets out to the real world, while her future still in the clouds. Her units continue to stick by her side but an ominous force threatens their relatively tranquil household. Sequel to "A Slice of Bittersweet Life". Manuals by 0ptimuspenguin and various others.
1. Prologue: Another Slice

Prologue: Another Slice

_The once frozen rose continued to grow, continued to reach up, continued to express its once hidden beauty. Long lasting peace allowed for an undisturbed bloom. _

_However, the clouds above began to cluster, gradually dimming the abundant radiance…_

…

"_Don't smash the bottles, you bloody idiot!" _

Sigh. I marked my page in the book I found deep within my desk. I remembered that I never finished reading this short, abstract novel I picked off of my mother's reading collection years ago. Something would always come up, distracting me from the little book. Tipping my chair back against the balcony railing, I listened in to whatever commotion that was going on downstairs.

"_You did it last time, Eyebrows!"_ shouted Gilbert. There were more smashing of bottles.

"_Aiyah, you're all making a mess in here!" _

The chair returned to its original position with all four legs on the ground. I rubbed my temples. _Just don't let anyone get glass in their foot again…_ Upon opening my eyes, I saw a calendar on the wall in the loft with today circled in bright red. A smile crept up on my face. Despite the stress, the satisfaction of finally finishing high school returned to me.

As I was about to start reading again, I heard someone come up the stairs. Judging by the quick and light steps, I knew who it was.

"Hola~." The fourteenish year old unit skipped over to my direction. He grabbed a beanbag chair and brought it by my seat.

"Hi Toni." I closed my book. "Is something the matter?"

"Yao said you were lonely so I came up to see you." He tilted his head, with his usual happy-go-lucky smile on his face. "Why aren't you with everyone else? They're having a lot of fun~."

I shook my head. "I don't want to have anything to do with that mess…" _He was probably sent up because things were getting out of hand…_

The Spaniard suddenly gasped as he looked up at the sky. "Look at those stars! They're as shiny as ripe tomatoes under the golden sun." His emerald green eyes slightly glistened, reflecting some of the stars above. He then rested his head against my leg.

_What an analogy…_ I sighed and decided to stargaze as well. It's been about a year since we had Toni. The company sent the wrong unit but we'd grown to love him too much to return him. Dealing with his default 'sociopath' mode was another story however. _Besides, the full-blown Bad Touch Trio would be too much for me to handle... Though, he is sharing rooms with the other two… _

"_Nana, Toni." _

Startled by the sudden voice, we quickly turned around. I smiled apologetically and received a bowl of ice cream the unit was holding out for us. "Thanks Matthew, I didn't notice you came up."

"Gracias~." The Spaniard gratefully took his share of the treat.

"Don't worry about it," the Canadian said calmly. He too brought up a beanbag chair and joined us. Kumajiro settled himself by his owner and with his eyes, pled to be fed some ice cream.

I ate a spoonful of the vanilla ice cream. "Did you need a break from the chaos down there?"

Matthew chuckled nervously. "Yeah, it's much quieter up here…"

Toni poked at my leg until I looked over at him. "Why don't you go have some drinks too, senorita?"

I scoffed. "America's legal drinking age is twenty-one, not eighteen like it is for a lot of you guys."

The Canadian smiled as he pet his companion. "I can't tell whether if Al is being responsible or it's saying something about the people in his culture."

"Probably the latter." I stretched and tilted my chair back in the process. A tune went off in my pocket. I pulled out my phone and smiled when I saw who it was. Before I could open the text, another one came in. I replied to them both, placed the device on my book, and sighed in content.

"You look so happy now~." Toni placed his empty bowl on top of mine. "Who were they?"

"Some old friends." I gazed up at the stars. _So Ryan and Kairi were celebrating today too…_

From down the street, the rumbling of a truck could be heard. I took a casual glimpse over in the direction, only to realize that it was slowing down as it came closer, until it came to a full stop right in front of the house. From the faint light of the street lamps, I saw the logo for the Flying Mint Bunny Express. The driver got out and waved up at me.

"Hola, Tess!" Toni shouted down at her.

Matthew smiled and drew Kumajiro close to him. "I wonder who this will be."

I rubbed the back of my neck and got up. "Yeah, I wonder too…" _We're going to run out of room at this rate… And it's midnight; who delivers this late?!_

We made our way downstairs. I regretted taking a look in the living room for Arthur had joined the drunken idiots. I shuddered and continued my way to the front door. I opened it before Tess was able to ring the bell.

"Good evening." She tipped her cap at me.

"Or good morning, I guess." A yawn escaped me. "How come you're here so late?"

She sighed as she handed me the clipboard to sign. "Mark wanted me to make a final delivery, saying it was a graduation gift from him to you."

"From Mark?" I scribbled in my signature and returned the board to her. During the process, I realized that the crate wasn't wooden like usual. It was instead metallic. "…Why is it in a special box?"

"Who knows what he's thinking." She wheeled in the crate. "He said 'you'll thank me later'."

_I really wonder who this is then…_ "Well, thanks for coming out so late. I really appreciate it." She nodded and handed me the manual. She left soon after.

"Ve~ A new friend!" Feliciano came up behind me and peered over my shoulder. "Who is it? Who is it?"

"I don't know…" _It better not be someone crazy…_ I opened the front flap of the manual.

We both drew in our breaths upon seeing the name.

"Hey hey hey, who's this unawesome guy?" Gilbert took a glimpse at the booklet. He smirked and tapped his beer can against the crate, making some clinking sounds. "Actually, scratch the unawesome part."

* * *

**What is my manual story without a prologue? (Although this was more like a chapter one than that though… Oh well)**

**I decided to go with the similar set up- under 2,000 words, a 'quote', and a cliffhanger on who the new unit is. Anyone want to take a guess on who it is? It has to be someone Gilbert doesn't consider unawesome though (or at least in my headcannon. . . ). The metal box part was from the manual itself. . . I'm not quite sure why it has to be that instead of regular wood. . . Hm. **

**And yes, she did get a Canada model and a Little!Spain model within the two year time skip. I was initially going to have a regular Spain but I thought some troubleshooting would be interesting. I'm having some trouble with his personality though so please spare me until I figure it out orz. . . **

**I will be starting school in about three weeks but I hope to get into this sequel as much as I can until then. **

**Let's see where this story will head to~. **


	2. Chapter 1: An Addition

An Addition

Gilbert and I moved the crate into the living room so that everyone could see who it was. I grimaced upon the sight of broken bottles and sparse articles of clothing scattered here and there. The only guess I could take was that the Prussian and Francis had 'influenced' Arthur a bit too much. I was just glad his wand didn't come out yet.

Toni jumped into the middle of the room. "We have un nuevo amigo [a new friend]~!"

Gilbert tapped a freshly opened can of beer against the crate. "Oh West~, I got a special drink just for you." The confined unit grunted in response, probably getting to his awoken state.

I picked up the manual as the Prussian had started pouring the drink through an opening. "Let's not…" I skimmed down to the removal process and felt my growing headache worsen.

_3. Pour beer on the lid. LUDWIG KALTHERZIEG will claw his way out of the box and will be very embarrassed for doing so._

When indents were made on the crate, Feliciano shrieked while everyone else either smirked at the act or was simply wowed. I tossed the manual aside. _Okay… I don't need any more of this nonsense…_ I undid the latches that kept the metal crate closed and the door flung right open. Before I knew it, I, along with Feliciano, were crushed under the 180 pounds of muscle. _Huge miscalculation…_

"Bruder… How many times have I told you not to—" The unit's light blue eyes widened when it met mine.

Gilbert cackled and snapped a picture with this phone. "Great going, West!" The said unit turned a shade of red and quickly got up. He helped me up but Feliciano on the other hand sprung to his feet and gave his German friend a great, big hug.

"Ludy~!" The Italian rested his head against the other's chest. "Welcome! Welcome!"  
Ludwig awkwardly patted his back and when he caught me watching, he cleared his throat. "I apologize for my earlier behavior."

I decided to laugh it off. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault." I smiled menacingly at Gilbert. As he was about to run off, I snatched his phone. However, he was quick to his feet and tried to take it back. The device was instead knocked out of my hand and the thing fell to its doom into a plastic cup. Judging by the name etched on the side, it was filled with vodka.

"No!" Gilbert retrieved his drowned phone from the drink. It was dripping wet and the display no longer was on.

"That is what you get, da?" Ivan picked up his cup and took a sip.

Yong Soo snickered. "That was awesome, daze."

Sensing the death glare sent by the Prussian, I turned away from him and approached the slightly confused unit again. "I'm Nana Yukibara, the unit owner." I held up a hand.

Ludwig shook it. "Pleased to meet you." He frowned in dismay. "My bruder must have been causing you so much trouble."

_Finally someone responsible…_ "He's not that bad so don't worry about it." I extended my arm out at the rest of the bunch. "I'm pretty sure you're well acquainted with everyone else."

He nodded but looked uneasily around the room. We were celebrating my graduation but it just went downhill after ten o'clock. The decorations were half torn off, drinks were lined up on the tables and counters, and articles of clothing were flung here and there. The unit looked back at me but all I could do was shrug.

"Hey!" Gilbert hung his arm over the German's shoulder and messed with his hair. "Screw the grad party; we're going to celebrate West's arrival now!"

I glanced at the time and heaved a sigh. _Whatever…_ I collected some trash and dumped them into the brimming bin. While I was pouring myself some coke, something caught my attention. Something poked at the back of my mind from the sight of Ludwig's hair partially down.

"Aiyah, Nana. Don't fall asleep now."

Tickles of soda streamed down from the counter to my feet. _Crap._ I grabbed a paper towel and began cleaning my mess. _What was that just now..?_

Yao helped me clean up. His cheeks were slightly rosy but he still seemed sober enough. "Where is he going to be staying, aru?"

I tossed the soggy towel away and tore another sheet to clean the rest. "I really don't know…" Toni was with Francis and Gilbert while Matthew was with Alfred and Feliciano.

Something jumped onto my back, weighing me down a bit. "Basement."

"Kumajiro, don't do that." Matthew lifted the bear off of me.

_Actually…_ "That isn't a bad idea." I stood up to pet the furball. "Aren't you a genius—" He gnawed on my hand before I could rub his head. I hung my head. _Still doesn't like me…_

The Canadian chuckled nervously and made him release. "If we move some of the storage around, then there should be enough space down there."

"We just need to buy more beds, aru." Yao wiped his hands on a towel and glanced up at Matthew. "Do you want to room with Ludwig?"

He smiled. "I don't mind." There was a hint of uneasiness in his tone of voice however.

Eventually, the festivity came to a close around three in the morning. Alfred and Ivan carried the guys, who had either fallen asleep or were too drunk to get up, to their respective rooms. I ended up staying up a little longer with Yao to clean up the mess. Near the end, we were just too tired and worn out so we left some stuff alone and finally went to bed.

It was a dreamless night. My eyes flashed open to the morning sun after something had hit my lower back. _Double ow…_ I rolled over to find some brown hair sticking out from under the covers. _Uhh…_ I peeked in and sighed in relief upon finding Toni. _Thank you for the wake up kick…_ The poor guy was probably weirded out by Francis and Gilbert. I would have retreated too if I were him.

I quietly sat up and yawned. It was already ten but the house was still quiet. Elizabeta was still sleeping too with little signs of waking up. I shook my head. _Partied a bit too hard last night, huh…_ I carried out my morning routine and slipped out of my room. I muffled a yelp when the front door suddenly closed.

A figure of someone else popped into my head before I fully realized that it was Ludwig in his workout gear. _Lack of sleep messing with my head…_ "G-good morning."

He slightly flinched when he saw me. He was quick to recover though. "Guten Morgen [Good morning]."

I watched as he properly line up his boots with the other shoes. "Did you have a good run?"

"Ja. You should go running in the mornings too. It's for the best of your health."

_I used to…_ "I'll… consider it." I made my way down the hall to the kitchen. It took me a while to notice that the trash left last night was all gone. Actually, it was cleaner than it was before the party.

Ludwig came in and drank the last of his bottle of water. He wiped his mouth. "Could I ask you something?"

I was startled from the deep voice breaking the silence. "Ye-yes?" _Did he clean the room before leaving?_

"How is this household run? Who manages the bills and who have jobs?"

_That's a question I don't hear everyday…_ I sat down on the stool by the counter. "We all pitch in. Francis and I mainly keep track of the bills. The Frenchie is a restaurant chef while Elizabeth is a waitress there, Alfred and Arthur are in the local police force, Ivan is apparently a bouncer at a bar, Matthew is an assistant coach for a local ice hockey team, and Feliciano, Yong Soo, and Yao babysit the neighbors' kids from time to time."

An inscrutable expression was on his face so I couldn't tell whether if he approved their jobs or was just thinking. He rinsed the water bottle and set it in the dish rack. "How about my bruder?"

"Oh." I counted off on my finger only to realize that I forgot to mention him. "About a month ago, he was scouted to be a model for a small magazine company."

The German raised a brow. "Oh really?"

I dug under a pile of mail and pulled out a magazine. I flipped to a marked page and showed him the spread. The company mainly targeted both a girl and boy teenager audience and Gilbert ended up modeling for the male clothing line.

Ludwig sighed and shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

I laughed and set the magazine aside. "I know right?"

Just as everyone started to wake up, I made them a brunch consisting of soup and sandwiches. Since the guys keep taking over cooking duty, I've barely the chance to make anything. I do know how to cook but the portions were very minimal to match my diet back when I had to take care of mother. I did my best to make as many sandwiches as I could.

Alfred set down his cup of coffee. "So hey, Lud." He dusted crumbs of bread off of his police uniform. "Care to be a hero like me and join the firefighting force?"

The German unit glanced up at him. "Firefighting?

"Yes." Arthur stood up and put on his cap. "They are short on people and are looking to recruit."

The American grinned and poked at Ludwig's forearm. "I think you're perfect for the job."

"Ma cherie."

"Huh?" I looked over at Francis. He pointed at my bowl of soup. Apparently some had splattered out.

He wiped it for me. "You seemed dazed all morning. Are you not feeling well?"

I set my spoon down. "No, I'm fine... Maybe a little tired." My attention returned to the other end of the long table. Alfred continued talking to Ludwig about the firefighting job. The German eventually accepted. A part of me sank while the other part was happy for him to have found a potential job already. …_What's wrong with me?_

Ludwig ended up going with Alfred and Arthur while Francis and Elizabeta went to the restaurant. Ivan didn't have to work until the evening so he went to go take a walk. Matthew and Feliciano decided to go clean out the basement since the things were temporarily shoved to the side last night. Gilbert on the other hand was still upstairs in his room, probably blogging or something and complaining about his hangover.

"I beat you again~!" Toni threw the game controller in the air.

"Aw man." Yong Soo fell back onto the ground. He then sat right back up. "I'll get you this time, daze!"

I chuckled at the sight. They were playing some racing game but I knew the Korean was letting him win on purpose. I lounged on the couch and watched them go for another race. It was a weird sensation, not having to really worry about school anymore. College was an exception however. I decided I wasn't ready yet and applied for the community college that was nearby. _I need to find a job though… I can't just sit here all day._

I flipped through the magazine I pulled out earlier. From what Gilbert told me, he was just at the gas station when a 'crazy lady' went up to him and right out asked if he was interested in modeling. Egoistic as he was, he accepted her offer. I stared at the candid shots of him showing off summer wear. I could imagine the Hetalia fandom going all 'doesn't he look like Prussia?'. I sighed and threw the magazine on the table.

"_Hey, unawesome girl!"_

_Speaking of the devil…_ I got up and went upstairs. "What?"

The unit was in the midst of putting on his shirt by the time I walked into the loft. I quickly darted my eyes to the window. When he was done, he pointed at me with an annoyed look on his face. "You're going with me to buy a new phone."

I crossed my arms. "You got what you deserved. Why do I need to go with you?"

"I have a freaking headache but my manager is going to kill me if she can't contact me!" He crossed his arms as well. "Take some responsibility."

We had a stare-off for several seconds. I heaved a sigh and dropped my arms. "Fine, I'll be your driver..."

"Good." He smiled in triumph. "Be ready in the next five minutes."

"Yes, yes." I went back downstairs. _It's still your fault…_

I slipped on a casual dress, which was basically like a long, oversized t-shirt with a sash. It was a hot summer right off the bat. I grabbed the car keys and the grouchy Prussian and I were off to the shopping center where we got his phone.

* * *

**Aaaand this sequel finally takes off. The good thing? I have a lot of plot ideas in store. The bad thing? This is my last weekend before school. With me becoming a high school senior, things will be too hectic and my updates will most likely become sparse again… 'Tis is life. **

**For those who skipped the first story (for reasons I don't really understand), Nana owns (in order of arrival)- Feliciano, Francis, Alfred, Ivan, Arthur, Yao, Yong Soo, Gilbert, Elizabeta, Matthew, Toni (Antonio), and now Ludwig. **

…**That's a lot of people in a house. It's like a classroom…**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. What memories keep bothering Nana? Will Ludy become a firefighter? Will there be a smooth process of buying a new phone? All (maybe not all) will be answered soon~. **

**Until next time! **

**Ps. This was a last minute thing but if anyone's interested in doing the cover art for this story then I'll be quite pleased... I would do it but it's going to be a while until I could get it down on paper and color it digitally. It's okay if you're not but just pitching an idea in the air~. PM me for further info!  
**


	3. Chapter 2: Sudden Arrangments

Sudden Arrangements

I shielded my eyes as we stepped out of the phone shop. Gilbert stupidly grinned as he set-up everything he needed to do on his new device. He was allowed to renew his service and everything. It took him a good hour to select a new phone. A whole hour. He was so picky. _Why. _

Since we went all the way out to the shopping center, we decided to roam around a bit. There was a slight chance for me to enjoy the time, but I wished he would stop complaining about his hangover.

"You should have taken some pills before we left…" I grumbled.

"I'm too awesome for medica—" He groaned and rubbed his temples.

I sighed and adjusted my bag. _It's going to be a long day…_ "Have you heard anything from your brother about his job yet?"

"Hey hey hey, don't you go underestimating him!" He smirked at me. "With a bruder as awesome as me, there's no way he couldn't get the job!—" He hung his head and rested his arm against my shoulder. "God, my freaking head…"

I flicked his forehead to get him off of me. "Why don't we just head home now..?"

"_Beilschmidt!"_

The said unit glanced past me. He stood up straight and had a smug look on his face as a woman around her mid-twenties strode up to us, her heels tapping against the tile floor. I was lightly pushed aside when she got closer. _Who..?_

Gilbert crossed his arms. "What did I tell you to call me?"

The blonde lady rolled her eyes. "_Sir Awesome_."

He laughed giddily. "That's better!" He raised a brow. "So what do you want from me?"

She rested her hand on her hip. "Well for one, you never answered back my calls or texts." Annoyance was in her tone of voice. "Then your housemates told me you're not home!"

"It's not my fault my phone got trashed last night." He threw a dirty look at me. I shifted my eyes to the side in response. _Still served you right…_

The lady shook her head. "I'm just glad I found you here." She glanced up at him. "Today's shoot might have to be cancelled. Your partner's out sick."

"Freaking Landa." Gilbert scowled. "I was set on checking out the new line to see if they could measure up to my awesomeness."

_So she was his manager…_ It felt a bit awkward just being in the background. "You should be glad. Your hangover was going to kill you anyway…" I muttered low enough for only him to hear.

He looked back at me. It was obvious something ran across his mind. He suddenly pulled me over and hung his arm over my shoulders. "We could use her instead! She's way better than Landa anyway."

The manager person observed me, head to toe. My cheeks flushed red. I could almost _feel_ her eyes on me. She tapped her chin in thought. "How old are you?"

"E-eighteen."

She swiftly placed her hand against the side of my face and peered right into my eyes. My body went completely rigid. _Personal space! Personal space! _After a few more seconds, a spark of inspiration flashed in her eyes and she broke into a smile. "Okay, she'll do."

Gilbert smacked my back after she released me. "Don't be dead weight."

I was still frozen from the sudden interaction but gloom slowly settled in. "I-I have no say in this, do I?"

"Nope~." The lady stuck her hand out. "I'm Camille, Gilbo's manager."

I shook her hand. "…I'm Nana."

Her phone suddenly started ringing. She frowned upon seeing the caller ID. "Well, I got to go. Shoot's at seven, alright? Don't disappoint me!" She answered the call and hurried away.

When she disappeared into the crowd of people, I grabbed the Prussian's shirt collar and drew him close to me. "What were you thinking?!"

He avoided eye contact. "Erm… Payback for killing my old phone..?"

I shook him, tightening my grip in the process. "I drove you here in return! It's _your_ turn to do something in _my_ favor, not the other way around!"

He nervously looked around as we began drawing people's attention. "Hey, you wanted a job!" He managed to hiss.

I stopped strangling him. _That's true… _"But not a modeling job!"

He slowly made me release. "Just go with it. You're slightly better than Landa anyway."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" I crossed my arms. _Who's she anyway..?_

After getting home, there was some time to kill before we were to go to work. Gil went back to bed after finally taking some pain killers to try to get over his hangover. I shared with whomever that was home at the time about my new 'job'. Naturally, they asked to come observe. I managed to persuade them not to, but out of desperation, I made a grave mistake of the condition I offered them. _I am not looking forward to that day, whenever it will be…_

Slowly but surely, half an hour to seven rolled around. Gilbert and I set off to the agency by riding the sprinter since that was the easiest way to get there. For a local fashion magazine company that was sharing space with another magazine, their office building looked pretty small at first. It just had two stories.

"Don't you go falling into the water." The Prussian pointed at the side of the building.

"Who would be dumb enough to..?" I peered into it. It was much deeper than I thought. "Why is it so big?"

He scoffed. "You'll see." He held open the door for me. "Hurry your butt, we're going to be late."

"'You'll see'," I mouthed and walked in. After checking in at the front desk, he led me down the stairs to an underground floor. I gasped at the sight of a huge water tank that encompassed one side of the wall. _Okay, I take that back…_ It was like an aquarium.

"Told ya'." He smirked.

I pressed my hand against the glass as a turtle swam by. "Was this building used for something else before?"

He just shrugged. "How would I know?" He then hooked his finger in my shirt collar and started pulling me along with him. "Don't stall. That manager is freaking scary when she gets mad."

We went through the door that was at the end of the long hallway. I was surprised to see that the room was filled with equipments and set-ups for photo shoots. There were other models showing off clothes or some product. An intimidating aura emitted from them. I felt myself drawing back.

"Finally you two are here!" Gilbert's manager hurried up to us. She swiftly clung onto our arms and led us to a rack in the corner. She held up a pair of outfits, one for girls and the other for guys. "Guess this clothing line's theme."

"Umm…" I stared at them. There was a contrast of classy, elegant and almost grungy between the two. I looked at Camille in defeat. "I'm not sure."

She giggled. "Amateurs." Her attention went to Gilbert. "What do you think?"

He scowled. "Like I'd know." His expression softened up a bit. "But I like what I'm seeing so far."

She shook her head "It's a waste of time to ask you anyway." She raised the articles of clothing up. "Anyway, this clothing line is based on 'The Beauty and the Beast'. The girls have a reserved but elegant-look to match Belle's style while the guys have this fiercer, hot-headed style to go with the Beast's attitude. Of course there are vice versa ones as well. "

"Hot-headed, huh…" I glanced over at the Prussian. _How perfect._

Camille placed a hand on my shoulder. "You're of course going to be Belle. Landa has the wavy, brown hair but…" She looked deeply into my eyes like she had done earlier. "Your pure black hair and stunning blue eye give me more of an image of a 'Beauty'…"

I took a step back and rubbed my arm. "I-I see." _Is she just going for my right eye then..?_

She grabbed several outfits and shoved them into my and Gilbert's hands. "Now now, go along and change. The photographer's almost done with the other models."

Of course I was reluctant at first. I just stood there, staring at the first outfit. _How did I get myself into this mess..? _After getting over it for a bit, I got changed into a blue, lacy, sleeveless blouse that skirted out at the waist and golden yellow skinny jeans. Next, the hair stylist added some waves to my hair and parted my bangs so that my left, dark brown eye would be covered. Next, the makeup artist touched me up only a bit. That part surprised me. I was expecting to be caked with makeup. I was given some accessories to add the final touches to the outfit. Once I was all done, I met with Camille again.

"Oh my Beauty~!" She clasped her hands together in joy. "My eyes have yet to fail me."

A nervous chuckle escaped me. I decided to stand a few feet away from her. Her excitement creeped me out a bit.

"Hey hey, don't tell me you're going to go marry her now." Gilbert joined us as he took a drink of water.

"What are you say—" I paused when I saw him in his getup of a near-matching blue, short sleeved hoodie top and black shorts. What got me was the way his hair was styled. It was messier than usual and brushed back a bit. I snapped out of it and frantically turned my attention back to the manager. "So-so what am I supposed to be doing?"

"What do you mean? Just stand there and look pretty." She smiled at me. "Gilbo will go first so you'll get an idea."

At that, the Prussian went to the corner and followed whatever the photographer told him to do. I sat on a stool while I waited and watched. _Of course he's a natural…_ I felt myself starting to blush a little and quickly stared down at the ground. _Stupid girl instincts…_

"His popularity's been rapidly growing." Camille stood by me to observe as well. "I don't get all this 'Prussia' thing is but thanks to him, the magazine's sales have been increasing."

_The Hetalia fandom must have spread the word…_ "That's nice." I glanced up at her. "I know you were in a hurry earlier but do you mind telling me about the company a bit?"

She blinked a couple of times. "Oh? You want to know?" I nodded. She smiled proudly. "Well, this fashion magazine, _YUU_, mainly targets thirteen to twenty year olds, both male and female. That's pretty unique in on itself since when you think fashion, you think of girls only, right?" I nodded again. "That's not the only thing we're proud of. We also use as little makeup as we can and no Photoshop to promote the 'natural' look."

_That's great to hear…_ "I think that's a wonderful thing."

"Right?" Camille sighed in content. "I don't like all the fakeness out there in the world. They should tone it down so that things will be more accessible to the common people, don't you think?"

_Camille…_ I smiled at her. "I agree."

She cupped my face in her hand again. "And that is why I chose you and Gilbo. You guys are full of natural beauty." Her gazed locked with mine for a moment.

When I started feeling awkward again, I backed up out of impulse but the stool tipped over in the process. Fortunately, instead of hitting the tile floor, someone caught me at the last minute. I opened my eyes and caught my breath.

"Hey, it's your turn." Gilbert held onto my arms to keep me up. He pulled me up to my feet.

I fixed my hair since my bangs went out of place. "R-right…"

"Paul, Paul, did you get that?" Camille excitedly hit the photographer. "That was a perfect shot where the Beast was helping his Beauty."

The two of us immediately blushed. I elbowed him in the stomach. He doubled over and fell to the ground. In the meantime, I went up to the white screen. I was there twice as long as the Prussian. And this was only the first outfit. There were probably five more. 'Turn your head this way', 'stand like this', 'look this way', 'smile more', 'relax a bit'. That went on for maybe two hours.

"Okay, great job you two." Camille handed us our food we all ordered from the nearby Chinese restaurant. "Just one more shot for the cover."

I raised my head. "The cover..?"

"Sweet! I can finally be shown to the world." Gilbert got up and fixed his hair in the mirror.

When that, along with our dinner, was done and over with, it was finally time to go home. I was more than happy to get out of here and just lie down in bed. It was close to eleven.

"I don't get how you can handle this four times a week…" I stretched as we walked past the water tank.

"There's nothing the Awesome Me can't handle—" He started to yawn.

The contagious nature of it made me mimic him. "I feel like I deserve ice cream before we get home."

"Yeah yeah." He climbed up the stairs first.

We walked out of the building and headed toward the streets. It was a bit chilly so I started rubbing my arms to generate some heat. I learned so much today, about Gilbert's job and about the publishing world in general. And speaking of jobs, I wondered if Ludwig got recruited.

All of the sudden, a fuzzy vision slipped into my head. I could barely make out a uniform that resembled that of a firefighter's and flashing red lights. It wasn't from their truck. It seemed to be an ambulance's.

"_Hey, I'm gonna leave you behind."_

I snapped out of it and realized that I was several paces behind Gilbert. I jogged to catch up to him and muttered an apology. _Why am I remembering these things..?_

He scoffed arrogantly. "Are you _that_ tired?"

"I guess." I saw that he was taken aback by my serious response.

"W-well, there's a 7-Eleven over there." He pointed a block ahead. "Go buy your stupid ice cream."

_Don't mind if I do…_ I walked head of him to go into the store first. The door swung open before I could grab the handle so I stepped back.

The guy stopped part-way. "Oh, sorry—"

Our eyes widened upon meeting. It seemed like everything around us slowed down. My arm dropped down. "Why…" I was too surprised to continue.

_Why are you here..?_

* * *

**You know how much I love writing cliffhangers. I'm sorry to keep doing this to you (okay, I'm not entirely sorry). Care to take a guess who it is? :3 **

**I had a hard time getting into this chappy but I needed it to establish Nana's new job and a minor event/conflict or whatever you want to call it. Thank you school and senior priorities (in terms of colleges and such) for taking me away from his haven called story writing. **

**This might have been a bit low-energy chapter but that's the best I can do for now. Mellow is sometimes good, yes? Maybe it's not that mellow and it's all in my head. Oh well. **

**Thanks for reading! **


	4. Chapter 3: Movements

Movements

"_I… was just buying some snacks for me and my roommate." He stiffly held up the plastic bag in his hand._

"_Hey, we're gonna miss the sprinter if you stand there for any longer," Gilbert called out from behind._

_I took a step back from the door. Forget the ice cream. I returned to where the Prussian was standing and headed for the station._

…_Ryan, since when did you start living here?_

"…Fraulein."

I was shook awake. I knew for sure that that wasn't a dream. I wished it was. The weariness of my body told me that it was nowhere near eight in the morning. I squinted at the clock. It read five AM. I rolled over to the side to see who in the world decided that it was a great idea to get up so early. I rubbed my eyes. "…Ludwig, what's wrong?"

He crossed his arms. "It's time to go run."

From the faint light coming through the blinds, I saw that he was all set in his workout gear. I groaned. "Why now..?" From behind him, another figure swayed up to me.

"I'm tired too, Ludy…" Feliciano collapsed onto my bed.

_Is he making all of us get up for this..?_ I moved back a little due to the close proximity that Italian was from me. "I got to bed late last night. Could we do this another time—"

"Nein. If you slack now, nothing will ever get done." The stern look in his eyes prevented me from spouting anymore objections.

I sighed, sat up, and combed my hair into place. "Fine."

So the four of us- Ludwig, Feliciano, even Gilbert, and I, went running around the neighborhood, up a hill, and back home as the sun slowly dragged itself up to the sky. On the bright side, while we were taking a quick break on the hill, I saw my first sunrise. Maybe Ludwig wanted to show this view to us. Who knows what's on his mind at times. Either way, I was dead tired by the time we made it back to the house.

I dabbed my face with a towel. "It's too early for vigorous activities…"

"Ve… I can't feel my legs." Feliciano was face-down on the couch.

"You guys are so weak!" Gilbert huffed arrogantly as he looked down at us. "That was nothing. The Awesome Me could go for another round."

I set down my water bottle. "Then why don't you?"

There was some hesitation written on his face. He stomped into the kitchen area. "In any case! You need to watch your physique now that your stupid face is going to be shown to the public."

_Thanks for reminding me…_ "I would appreciate doing this an hour later then…" I headed to my room to take a shower. Apparently Elizabeta had woken up so the bathroom was occupied. _Oh well. I can wait._

I sprawled onto my bed and stretched. I didn't stop to think that I would have to watch my body if I'm going to be a model. Just as long as I don't need to cut my eating habits by that much, I'll be satisfied.

The weight of exhaustion closed my eyes. The flashback from earlier played through in my head again. _Why was Ryan there..?_ He never mentioned anything about moving here. _Maybe he was accepted to a college in this area so it was a complete coincidence._ I opened my eyes. _Yeah, a coincidence…_

"Good morning~." Elizabeta glomped me as I was about to sit up.

I moved my head back. "Your hair's still soaking wet…" I could feel my shirt gradually getting soaked.

"Hey, you're already wet anyway." She tugged at my t-shirt. "Ludy made you go run, huh?"

"Yeah… So I was waiting to take a shower after you." I shifted uncomfortably to the side. "If you're all done then..."

She got up and adjusted the towel around her. "I'm good, go ahead."

After I got myself feeling fresh and clean again, it was time for breakfast. The police duo, and now firefighter Ludwig, left for their jobs. As I saw them off, I wished the German luck. They filed into the car and drove out of the driveway. _He got the job, huh…_ I returned inside before I could start thinking about anything stupid.

"Nana, can you pass me the hammer?"

I rummaged through the tool box and pulled out the tool. I handed it to the Canadian. "Here—" A long yawn interrupted me.

Matthew chuckled. "You must be very tired." He hammered the nail into the wood. He was building a shelf for the room he was sharing with Ludwig.

"Yeah… but I think I'll manage." I got up and stepped over a napping Kumajiro. "I'll go get us some drinks." I went up the stairs and as I headed to the kitchen, I bumped into someone when I turned the corner. Instinctively, I jumped back. "Oh, sorry—" I raised a brow. "Al?"

"Oops, my bad." He laughed nervously. "I accidentally put my badge in the fridge with the butter."

_How do you even make that mistake..?_ "Well, be more alert, _officer_." I walked past him.

"Hey..!" He went up to the counter.

I grabbed two cups and filled them up with fruit punch. "Yeah?"

"So I hear there's this awesome movie coming out today. Wanna go check it out after my shift's over?"

_Movie, huh..?_ I returned the pitcher in the fridge. "Sorry but I can't today. I have to go back to the agency to take more pictures later tonight." I swept by him and headed to the basement. "Maybe some other time."

"Oh…" His hair kink curled down a bit. "That's fine then."

From taking a quick glimpse back, I saw two movie tickets gripped in his fist behind him. _So he already got the tickets…_ I returned to where Matthew was in the room and set the cups of juice on a desk. "I'll leave these here."

"Thanks." The Canadian was examining the instructions. "Did someone come home? I heard the front door earlier."

"Oh, Alfred forgot his badge." I spun on the desk chair. "He wants to see a new movie that's coming out. I think you should go check it out with him."

The hammering stopped for a moment. He continued again as he smiled and shook his head. "I suppose I should… Are you sure you can't go?"

"Yeah. He seemed pretty bummed out though." I watched as Kumajiro was pulling his owner's cellphone from his back pocket. _That reminds me… _I got back up to my feet. "I remembered I needed to do something so I'll be right back."

I scampered back up the stairs and into my room. I grabbed my phone and sat on my bed. _I need to see what's up…_ Several keystrokes later, I placed the phone back on my desk and went back to help the Canadian.

Even with a two hour nap, I was still feeling extremely tired. I was in no condition to get my picture taken but I had no choice. I had Yong Soo accompany me since I felt that I would fall asleep on the sprinter on my way to the agency building, in which I did end up doing so.

"Well, I hope you can catch up on your sleep." Camille scrolled through the pictures taken today. "We need you to be in good shape for these, you know?"

I hung my head. "Yes, I understand…" _Another retake tomorrow…_

She smiled and patted my back. "You're done for today. Have a good sleep, okay?"

I nodded. I met up with Yong Soo in the main hallway with the water tank. He was busy having a stare-off with a fish to notice I was done. "Hey—" Someone abruptly brushed past me. I looked back and naturally, I apologized.

The girl had long, voluminous, wavy brown hair that went down to her waist. Due to her shorter height, she wasn't in my line of sight. She stopped but didn't bother to turn around. I heard her scoff. "Amateurs…" She continued to walk down the hall, with step echoing after her.

"What's with her, daze?" The Korean went up to me.

"Who knows…" I glanced at my phone for the time. _Oh._ I grabbed him by the wrist and hurried up the stairs.

"A-are we late for the sprinter?" Yong Soo almost stumbled on the top step. I didn't respond to him.

Once we were outside the building, I released my grasp of him and decided to go ahead on my own since he was slowing me down. I stopped at the 7-Eleven I was at yesterday. The muscles in my legs were aching again thanks to the run from this morning. I glanced around. _He's not here yet…_ I sat at the nearby bench to catch my breath.

I texted Yong Soo and told him to wait for me at the station since I had some business to take care of. In the meantime, I went through the texts I sent earlier today. I sighed. _Leave it to Ryan to only respond once with an "ok" after my longish messages…_ I told him to meet me here at nine so that I could talk to him directly and to apologize for abruptly leaving last night.

My patience was running thin. It became nine thirty. Then nine forty-five. Then eventually ten. I sent my fifth text asking where he was. He hadn't replied once. My ears perked up when I heard footsteps approach me from behind. I swung around but pouted when I saw that it wasn't him. "It's just you."

Yong Soo tossed me a can of soda. "Well that just hurt, daze." He looked around the place. "Were you waiting for someone?"

I clenched my phone. I stood up. _…Screw you, guy._ I opened the can of soda and walked down the street. "Let's just go…"

"Uh… okay then." He followed after me.

_What's with him..? I know I was rude and all for ditching him but at least I had the mind to meet up and apologize… _I tossed the can into the trash just as the sprinter arrived. We got on and sat in the back. It was almost empty in there but that was fine. Ten minutes in, I was starting to fall asleep.

"Nana!"

I jolted awake. "What? What?" Yong Soo held up his phone. The unit owner forum was opened and he urged me to read the page he had opened. My eyes ran down the block of text. My hand started to tremble a bit. I grabbed the wrist with my other hand. "W-What is this..?"

He took the device back. "Something very bad…"

It was a warning post. The user claims that there was a group that terrorizes unit owners. There were cases where unit owners were attacked for 'enslaving units to do their dirty work' and depending on the group's attitude towards them, the owners were either brutally beaten or even murdered. The units themselves are kidnapped and taken away to a 'better place' so that they don't have to be working under people anymore. However, if they tried to fight back, they were shut down. The locations of these crimes occurring were still small and sparse but the fact that there was one two cities from here wasn't comforting.

"This is terrible…" I rubbed my arms. "Why would they go as far as murdering unit owners?"

"I wish I knew, daze…" Yong Soo put his phone away. "We have to be on our guard again, don't we?"

I sighed. _I knew things were too peaceful lately…_ "Yeah… Let's pay Mark a visit tomorrow and see what he thinks about this."

"I'll forward the page to the others." He pulled out the device again and started forming a group message.

I looked out the window in the meantime. Summer had only just begun and there were so many things happening already. Ludwig joined us, I got a job, I ran into Ryan, and now there's this terrorist movement against unit owners. Things have been relatively calm for almost two years and now we get this.

"…My phone just died. Can I use yours?" I handed him my phone.

_This was going to be some summer…_

* * *

**Choppy chapter is choppy. I felt like I crammed too many ideas into one chapter that's barely part 2,000 words (when my average is 2,500). . . I write best when I'm in the mood for it and it really does show within the text. You can tell whether if I'm writing because I want to or writing because I feel the need to update for you guys. It's the latter this time. **

**Don't get me wrong, I'm still dedicated to this. I'm just a bit tied up with college stuff, yearbook, and school in general right now (…and summer anime... But they're all done now -sob-). **

**At least it wasn't a cliffhanger this time. Thanks for reading! **


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